by Jay Shaw
“Mirrors, mirrors now please.” Theodore broke her trance with an imperious clap of his hands.
The crowd parted like the red sea for Moses as two full-length mirrors with ornate white frames were brought in and positioned in front and back of Jenna.
“Rest assured you are stunning, Jenna, darling.” Ingrid purred as she stepped into view behind Jenna, an elaborate diamond lace collar draped between her fingers. “The final touch and my work here will be done.”
Theodore huffed; theatrical as always in his offence. Jenna reached a hand out to him and squeezed his fingers in grateful acknowledgement. Without him she would never have traversed the fashion minefield and survived. He squeezed back, adding a delicate pat for reassurance.
The necklace’s cool weight settled around her neck and contoured to her collarbones. Its center drop emphasized the soft swell of her breasts. Jenna lifted her chin. She felt like royalty. Her nerves contained within the slinky red fabric and lace inserts of her mermaid-silhouette gown.
“A word of warning, Miss Long.” Ingrid’s usually-melodic tones cut the air like an axe murderer going after his latest victim. “You wear two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollars on your perfectly-lovely décolletage. It is on loan from Villa d’Alessandro and should anything happen to it your handsome Mr Starr will be residing in a cardboard box.”
“Why would Villa d’Alessandro entrust such an expensive treasure to me of all people?”
“It’s not about you. Fashion houses are not alone in their desire to hawk their wares on the world stage.” Ingrid glanced up from fixing the clasp. “Who wears what to a Hollywood premiere will be talked about for weeks to come, what better advertising campaign could one ask for?”
Jenna’s hand fluttered over her chest, overwhelmed by the idea of someone having enough disposable income to purchase the breathtaking creation outright. The responsibility was daunting enough she almost told Ingrid to take it back, but she couldn’t deny how cool and decadent the jewels felt against her skin. The idea of fucking Jacob cowgirl-style while wearing nothing but a two-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollar diamond necklace was one hell of an aphrodisiac too.
“I’ll be careful, Ingrid, I promise.”
Ingrid met Jenna’s gaze in the reflection they shared and held it for a moment longer, before giving a satisfied nod. “I believe you will.”
The friendly chirp of Ingrid’s phone brought everyone to life once more. Mirrors disappeared, makeup cases, hair cape, driers, blowers, and their operators, all vanished with them as if sucked into a time vortex.
“Now it is time for me to give up playing fairy godmother and go.” Ingrid slipped her hand into the crook of Theodore’s arm. “The car will be downstairs in ten minutes, do not keep him waiting. We are all but slaves to the schedule which maintains the illusion of glamor.”
“’Tis a fact of life, darling.” Theodore waved a large hand in a c'est la vie gesture then slung two garment bags over his shoulder.
“Thank you for everything, Theodore.”
“Just be sure to enjoy yourself at the ball, and don’t worry about no stinking pumpkin hour.”
Jenna wrapped an arm around her middle for fear her laughter might burst a seam. “Never been a fan of pumpkins.”
“Quite right. Orange, with that hair and skin tone, hideous!” Theodore winked at her, the diamantes in his glasses twinkling in the low light.
“Come now, Theo, we must depart. Jenna, darling, you look marvelous.” Ingrid stepped in to bestow her ritual air-kisses. “I shall meet you on the red carpet. Remember to remove your sweat pads before exiting the car or you will regret it when they appear in every photograph across the world.”
Jenna had forgotten the pads her stylist shoved between the gown and her armpits as they dressed her. When asked, the woman had answered with a gruff nerves make you sweat like a pig. A trick of the trade Jenna was grateful to learn. The thought of revealing ugly sweat patches under her arms while standing in front of thousands of cameras and phones was horrifying.
“Jenna?” Jenna startled. It’d been an entire day since she’d last heard his voice, and it thrilled her to her bones, heated her blood and set her heart racing. “Shall I come in?”
“No!”
“Okay.” The wariness in his voice made her realize she’d barked like a junkyard dog.
“No, no.” She chuckled to reassure him as she figured out how heels and cocktail train were supposed to work together. “I want to make an entrance here. That way if I fall on my ass, it’ll just be you witnessing my humiliation, and not the entire world press.”
His laughter buoyed her. Although there’d been times in their unconventional courtship where the chasm between their worlds was glaring, Jenna had never felt like she didn’t belong with Jacob. Dressed in the trappings of his world showed her another version of herself, one she would be happy to explore in depth in the future.
Jenna stepped from guest room to living room and grinned as the handsomest man she’d ever seen stared back at her, brown eyes wide and dark with appreciation.
“Holy fuck!”
Jenna bobbed a curtsy as best she could and fluttered her lashes at her lover. “Such compliments are liable to make a girl blush, Mr Starr.”
“You take my breath away.” He truly sounded breathless as he strode from the balcony doors across the room to take her hands in his. “How’d I get so lucky?”
“It’s a question I ask myself every time you look my way.” Jenna stroked the backs of his hands and felt satisfaction simmer beneath her skin when his eyes fluttered at her touch.
He wore an exclusively-tailored black suit, a matching vest, black dress shirt, and a black tie with a metallic shimmer. She had seen him dressed up before, yet the masculine prowess and sheer sexiness he projected seemed only to increase with each occasion. She suspected even years into the future Jacob Starr would still have the power to turn her insides to liquid want. In fact, if they weren’t expected somewhere so important, Jenna would’ve demanded he take her right there against the wall.
The intercom buzzed just as Jacob leaned in to kiss her and Jenna sighed with both relief and disappointment. If only she’d had the forethought to have him kiss her senseless before they took an hour to do her makeup. Now she’d have to wait until the dark of the cinema. Would they be able to sit in the back row like a couple of teenagers on a first date? Her lips twitched in amusement even as she dismissed the notion for the time being.
“Ready?” Jacob stood by the open front door and held out a gold clutch purse to her.
“As I’ll ever be.” Jenna smoothed away the non-existent creases over her abs and reached for the purse.
“Just smile, and remember, I’ll be with you.” He pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her the curve of her shoulder, his breath a hot mist on her bare skin.
“Thank you for a wonderful evening.” He glanced up from locking the door, confusion furrowing his brow. “Just in case, with all the limelight and flashbulbs, I forget to tell you, later.”
Jacob ducked his head, a bashful flush coloring his cheeks as he offered her his arm. “C’mon, we better get going or Adam’ll have them eating out the palm of his hand before we get through traffic.”
“What are we waiting for then?” Jenna picked up her skirt so she could take longer strides without catching her heels in the hem. “Let’s go, Mr Starr, your public awaits.”
They were still laughing when they reached the sleek black-and-oyster limousine parked against the curb outside Jacob’s building.
Chapter Twelve
Jenna couldn’t breathe. Trussed up as she was the butterflies had nowhere to go but slam-dancing into her ribs and kidneys. She heard the crowds from four limos back. The anticipatory pause followed by the crescendo of cheers as whichever celebrity debunked from their ride and began their red carpet odyssey.
It was real. She was going to a red carpet premiere in Hollywood, California. And she wasn’t going as a fan. Or even a
s a fan with a VIP pass. She was going as the date of one of the movie’s stars, a man who she’d been sharing a long distance relationship with for the past six months – longer if you counted the eighteen months they’d thought about each other from afar. The same gorgeous, kind-hearted, responsible, fun-loving man whose laugh melted her insides into a puddle of rapturous want; the same man who’d told her he loved her not two days past.
Jacob took her hand from where it sat clenched in her lap and opened her fingers one by one, so he could entwine them with his. His touch soothed her, just as the solid feel of his body against her own kept her grounded.
She breathed in as far as she could and let it out again, slow and easy, and Jacob stroked his thumb along hers. He hadn’t said a word since they hopped in the car. She wondered if it was part of his process. Though he’d been to premieres before Jenna doubted they ever got easier.
The car moved forward one length before stopping again. Only now the roar of the crowd was just a thin pane of tinted glass away. Jacob pulled on their joined hands to get her attention. When she looked up from the glittered toes of her shoes, the excited sparkle in his eyes and the warm reassurance in his smile evaporated the last of her nerves. As long as he was beside her, everything would be okay.
“Ingrid went through it all with you?”
“Yes.” Jenna tugged her hand free from his, just long enough to remove the second sweat pad and toss it along with its fellow into the provided wastepaper basket. “You get out, the valet will help me, and then we’re into it.”
Jacob gave a sharp nod and tapped the window. The door opened and a barrage of indecipherable sound flooded the limo’s interior.
No amount of preparation could’ve prepared Jenna for the assault on every one of her senses as she accepted the valet’s hand and stepped from the car, up to the pavement, and tucked her hand into the crook of Jacob’s elbow. She might have been thrown in the deep end but it was still better than the week of torturous build up.
A wash of orange and purple, and a sprinkle of early stars painted the clear dome above, while the cool evening air eased the flush in her cheeks. Jacob led her forward into the cascade of camera flashes. Everywhere she looked faceless voices yelled her name, yelled for her to turn left or right. They wanted to know which designer she wore, and how long she and Jacob had been an item. It was impossible to answer any of them so she smiled until her face ached, and moved when Jacob did.
Jenna basked in the celebrity limelight, seductive and dangerous in its allure, while wonder and elation zinged new pathways through every inch of her body and mind. This was what it felt like to be a hot Hollywood commodity; beloved and idolized by the entire world, and showered with adoration until their attention waned and they no longer deemed you worthy.
Ingrid was there, dressed in a nondescript black dress, stockings, and heels; her elegant hand on Jenna’s elbow guiding her back three steps, separating her from Jacob.
“Cast only.” The whispered reminder drew Jenna’s attention to where Jacob stood with Adam, Savannah, and Xavier. The perfect image of professional star power and unobtainable fantasy staring down the camera lenses and flashes of the people their lifestyles and careers depended on.
“Amazing.” Jenna murmured, only to realize she was alone.
Ingrid, along with other agents, personal assistants, and bodyguards, herded the celebrities along the carpet like designer-dressed cattle headed to market. Savannah’s sky-blue gown flowed into a ten-foot train which contrasted with the carpet and the dark suits of her co-stars. Her blond hair pulled back and up to show off her slender neck and her long diamond earrings. She was every inch a Hollywood star, beloved by all, and in no need of an escort.
“You okay?” Jacob’s concern was a warm whisper against her ear and Jenna leaned close to chase more of his alluring heat.
“Yes, haven’t tripped over my dress, yet.” She chuckled; the apprehension of a moment ago giving way to the glitz, glamor, and excitement of the occasion.
“The night’s still young.” He teased; tightening his grip over her hand where it rested on his forearm.
“Jenna!”
“Oh my God, it’s them, it’s them! They’re here together!”
“Jenna, over here!”
Jacob turned her toward a group of young women waving at her from behind the barrier.
“We saw your pictures from Melbourne. I nearly swooned when I read Jacob had been searching for you for over a year, so romantic!” The women clutched each other in a group swoon.
Ingrid had warned her there’d be a press release ahead of the event, but the woman wasn’t shy about revealing details.
Jenna had a vague recollection of pictures being taken as Jacob pleaded for her to listen to him about Ingrid’s place in his life. She knew the odds of their private moment being private weren’t all that high, since they’d been standing on the pavement outside her hotel. But the reality of anyone with internet access being able to weigh in on their budding relationship was still a shock.
“Can we get a picture of you both?”
“Sure.” Jacob turned on the professional charm, covering for her by hauling her into his side, the weight of his hand reassuring on the small of her back.
“Can we get one with you, Jacob?” One of the other women asked, her cheeks flaming at her boldness.
“Sure, no problem for my biggest fans.” He stepped up to the railing, his bodyguard less than a step behind.
“I can take it for you.” Jenna reached for the woman’s phone. “Then you can all be in it.”
The five women jostled closer. The creak of the barrier made the bodyguard nervous, but it was the wandering hands which made Jenna’s smile tighten at the corners.
“Ready? Say Ethan Fox Rocks!”
“Ethan Fox Rocks!”
Jenna snapped off four or five photos in the hope all the women would be happy with their expressions in at least one of them, before handing the phone back.
“Thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome.” Jenna smiled and tried not to glower as Ingrid once again moved her on without Jacob. All the woman had to do was ask.
Left to her own devices for a moment, Jenna was able to take in more of her surroundings. Adam worked his charms on his fans a few feet down the line from Savannah, who held the skirts of her gown to show off the thigh-high split. Cameras flashed like fireworks, no doubt more eager to capture a glimpse of elegant leg than fabric lines. Jenna took her phone from her purse and snapped some pictures of her own. Cait’d never forgive her if she didn’t send her at least one attachment in her next email.
“Want me to take one of you?” Jacob was back at her side and Jenna jumped in surprise, having been caught out in her own fangirl moment.
“Oh, Mr Starr, that’d be so awesome.”
He laughed as she batted her lashes and fluttered a hand, the sound warming her from the inside out. He snapped a couple of pictures and handed her phone back. “I aim to please, Miss Long.”
“I’ll hold you to that later.”
“Promise?”
Jenna leaned into the hard length of Jacob’s side as he guided her on, images of what they could do once they returned to his apartment stirred tendrils of heat inside her. “Absolutely.”
♥♥♥
Beyond the gaze of the masses, the pomp and splendor of the premiere died away, leaving Jenna to feel like it was any other night at the movies.
Ushers stood at the ready to guide people to their allocated seating. Popcorn machines churned out bucket after bucket of hot buttery deliciousness, alongside servers who handed out boxed candy, beer, and champagne.
Jacob and Jenna waited in line to be seated behind four other couples when Savannah approached; a plastic glass of champagne in her hand and a box of raspberry licorice peeking out of her evening bag.
“Are you staying then?”
“Jenna hasn’t been to a premiere before. I thought it only fair she get the f
ull experience.”
Savannah nodded, her earrings sparkling in the light as they bobbed. “Of course. Though for my part I never could watch myself on screen, especially a fifty-foot one.”
She chuckled at her own joke and held out her hand. “Savannah Westbrook, nice to meet you.”
Jenna shook Savannah’s hand and smiled. “Jenna Long.”
“It’s good to finally put a face to all the things Jacob’s said about you. Are you enjoying seeing how the other half live?”
Jacob stiffened but Jenna put a hand on his arm to still him. “I am, thanks.”
Savannah sniffed; put out that Jenna hadn’t risen to her bait, and sculled the rest of her drink. “Glad to hear it. Enjoy your evening. I’m escaping out the back, ordering Indian, and curling up with a good book. These are medieval torture devices, not shoes. I’m going to murder my stylist.”
Jenna glanced down at the gorgeous rainbow-sparkle five-inch heel slingbacks Savannah had on display, and grimaced in sympathy; yeah, they had to pinch like a bitch.
“What’s this I hear?” Adam looped an arm around Savannah’s shoulders and offered a sulky pout. “A party’s not a party without Savannah Westbrook in attendance, or so I’ve been told. What will the other guests say?”
“Oh Adam, if you tell me I can dance barefoot I shall be there with-”
“Shoes off?” Jenna smirked.
Adam laughed. “Good one.”
“Indeed. It seems our Jacob has at last found someone worthy of my approval.”
Despite her tone, Savannah’s smile was genuine enough to ease the prickle of annoyance beneath Jenna’s skin.
“I wasn’t aware I required your approval, Sav.”
“And this is where I play referee.” Adam stood tall, body turned into the space between Jacob and Savannah. “Miss Westbrook, will you allow me to escort you to your car?”
“Thank you, Mr Chase.”
They both snorted in amusement when Adam got his foot tangled in sky-blue silk and nearly landed on his ass in the middle of the crowded lobby.
